Letter-box



(No-Model.)

v P. JOHNSTON 800. M. GATES.

LETTER BOX.

Ila-"487,574.

WITNESSES;

A TTOFINE YS.

UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

OLIVER I. JOHNSTON AND CALVIN M. GATES, OF BUTTE CITY, MONTANA.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,574, dated December 6, 1892.

I Application filed August 13, 1892. Serial No. 442.953. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OLIVER P. JOHNSTON and CALVIN M. GATES, both of Butte City, in the county of Silver Bow and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Mail- BoX, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mail-box for letters, papers, and other mail-matter, which is simple and durable in construction and arranged to protect the contents from the weather, and also to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the contents of the box.

The invention consists of acasing provided in its top with a slot for the introduction of the letters and also provided with an opening for the introduction of papers and other mailmatter, and a pivoted cap for covering the said slot and the said opening, the said cap being provided at its under side with a pocket for the reception of mail-papers.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as willbe fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement with parts in section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The improved mail-box is provided with a casing A, having a fixed top B, preferably curved, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with a longitudinally-extending slot C for the introduction of letters. In the curved top B is also formed a larger opening D, through which the papers and other heavy mail-matter are introduced, and over the openings is hung the hood or cap F, which is secured to pivots G, projected from the extensions A of the casing, and such pivots extend inward and have secured thereto the pocket E, such pocket moving in unison with the hood or cap F when the same'is raised or lowered. When the cap F is swung upward, as shown in Figs. land 2, then the mouth of the pocket E registers with the opening D, so that the heavy mail-matter can be readily introduced, and when the cap F is swung downward the pocket E empties its contents into the casing A.

The cap F is formed with an elongated front end F, adapted to cover the slot C, so that when the cover is closed both the slot C and the opening D are covered up, and consequently rain, moisture, and dust and other impurities cannot get into the casing A. On this end F, is also formed or secured a handle F for conveniently swinging the cap E into an uppermost position.

The rear part of the cap F is made segmental and fits over a correspondinglyshaped segmental oifset H projecting upward from the top B of the casing A.

In one end of the casing A is formed an opening adapted to be closed by a door I, mounted to slide vertically in guideways J, formed in this end of the casing A. A hasp K is hinged to the outer face of the door I near its upper end, and is adapted to engage a staple L, fastened to the end of the casing. When the hasp K is in place on the staple, it is locked in position by a suitable padlock N, of any approved construction.

It will be seen that this mail-box can be readily used out of doors and indoors, and is arranged to conveniently introduce the mailmatter into the casing, the letters passing through the slot C and the bulky portioninto the pocket E at the time the cap F is in a raised position, as shown and described. As soon as the operator releases the pressure on the cap F the latter swings automatically downward to discharge the contents of the pocket E into the casing A, at the same time closing up the opening 13 and the slot C.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A mail-box comprisingacasing provided with a slot for the introduction of letters and an opening for the introductidn of heavier mail-matter and a pivoted cap for covering the said slot and opening and provided with a pocket secured on the under side of the cap and adapted to register with the said opening, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a mail-box, the combination, with a casing provided with a top having a slot for the introduction of theletters and an opening opening, substantially as shown and defor the heavier mail-matter, of a cappivoted scribed.

on the ends of the casing and having an ex- OLIVER P. JOHNSTON. tended front end adapted to cover the said CALVIN M. GATES.

5 slot and the said opening and a pocket se- Witnesses:

cured on the under side of the said cap and M. R. KEITHLY,

adapted to register at its mouth withthe said ELIAS LYTLE. 

